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State
health officials today said they have asked Connecticut health care providers
to report suspected cases of Zika virus infection to the Connecticut Department
of Public Health (DPH) and to the patient’s local health department. There are
currently no reported cases of this mosquito-borne disease in Connecticut.

In
May 2015, Brazil reported the first outbreak of Zika virus in the Americas.
Although the illness is usually mild with symptoms lasting for several days to
a week, a possible link between Zika virus
infection in pregnant women and subsequent birth defects is being investigated in Brazil.
In December 2015, Puerto Rico reported its first confirmed Zika virus case.
Locally transmitted Zika virus has not been reported elsewhere in the United
States, but cases of Zika have been reported in returning travelers.

CDC
has issued a travel
notice
advising people traveling to affected areas in
South America, Central America, the Caribbean, or Mexico to protect themselves
from mosquito bites to reduce their risk of infection with Zika virus.

“All people, especially pregnant
women, who are traveling to areas where Zika virus is found, should take precautions to avoid mosquito
bites to reduce their risk of infection of Zika virus as well as other
mosquito-borne viruses such as dengue and chikungunya,” said DPH Acting
Commissioner Dr. Raul Pino. “Travelers returning from areas with Zika activity
should seek medical care if they experience a fever and symptoms of infection.”

Zika
virus, originally identified in 1947 from Zika forest of Uganda, is transmitted
to people primarily through the bite of an infected Aedes species
mosquito. These mosquitoes are found throughout tropical regions of the world
and are the same mosquitoes that spread dengue and chikungunya viruses.
Mosquitoes become infected with the Zika virus when they feed on a person
already infected with the virus. Infected mosquitoes can then spread the virus
to other people through bites. There is no vaccine to prevent or medicine to
treat Zika virus infection.

“The
mosquito species that is primarily responsible for transmission of Zika virus
to people is not found in Connecticut,” said Dr. Phil Armstrong, Medical
Entomologist with the Center for Vector Biology &
Zoonotic Diseases, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station. “Closely
related species are present in very low numbers and are unlikely to present a
risk of Zika virus infection to people. If the virus spreads to the United
States mainland it will most likely be identified first in Florida or the gulf
states.”

The
most common symptoms of Zika virus disease are fever, rash, joint pain, and
conjunctivitis. The illness is usually mild with symptoms lasting from several
days to a week. Infection is thought to provide lifelong immunity. Severe
disease requiring hospitalization is uncommon. Deaths are rare.

Travelers
can protect themselves from this disease by taking steps to prevent mosquito
bites. When traveling to countries where Zika virus (see map) or other viruses
spread by mosquitoes have been reported, use insect repellent, wear long sleeves
and pants, and stay in places with air conditioning or that use window and door
screens.